Saudi Man Gets 5 Year Sentence, 1,000 Lashes for Sex Talk

A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a man to five years in prison and 1,000 lashes for speaking about his sex life on television, in violation of vice laws in the conservative Muslim country.

The lawyer who represents Jeddah resident Mazen Abdul Jawad said he will appeal Wednesday's court ruling. Attorney Sulaiman al-Jumeii says his client was a victim of the Lebanon-based television channel, LBC satellite TV network, on which Jawad appeared.

During an appearance on the talk show "Bold Red Line" in July, the 32-year-old divorced father of four described his first sexual experience at age 14 and the ways he approaches women on the street.

Women and men who are unrelated are generally barred from interacting in public in Saudi Arabia.

Jawad's lawyer says his client's case was hurt by heavy media coverage, which sparked outrage among conservative Muslims. Saudi Arabian authorities shut down two of the Lebanese channel's offices in the kingdom and arrested Jawad on charges of "publicizing vice."

Three men who appeared on the same program as Jawad were each sentenced on Wednesday to two years in prison and 300 lashes.

Attorney al-Jumeii also says the case was inappropriately tried in a criminal court, and should have been heard in a specialized court dealing with media cases.